Cloud County Claims Conference Titles in Track & Field

Hutchinson, KS - In a weekend plagued by rain, lightning and tornados, Mother Nature held safe the Thunderbirds of Cloud County Community College as both the men and women’s Track & Field teams took top team honors in the Western Division of the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. The Lady T-Birds outscored 2nd place Butler County 251.5 to 234.5 and the men also outscored Butler County 238.5 to 205. In the overall Region VI standings both programs came in 3rd place.

The women were led by Freshman Darcie Schmitz who took first place in the long jump with a winning leap of 19’ 2.75”. Schmitz also clamed 4th place in the triple jump with a mark of 36’ 1.5”. Also taking top honors was sophomore Jamie Conley as the Royal Valley HS native cleared 10’ 6” to best the field of competitors. Freshman Kimberly Schmelzle took 2nd in the pole vault with a height of 10’. Sophomore Shereena Hollis took 2nd in the hammer with a distance of 144’ 10”. The Lady T-Birds grabbed a couple of 3rd places as Lindsey Moore took the third spot in the 400m intermediate hurdles in a time of 1:06.28 and the 4 x 100m relay finished in 3rd with a time of 49.12 seconds (Hargadine, Schmitz, Pointer-Allen, Pearse). Sophomore LeKesha Pointer-Allen finished 4th in both the 400m (58.53) and the 200m (25.44).

On the men’s side it was the “Johnny Shuping and Raymond Radway Show” as the two Cloud County sophomores combined for 5-Golds and were both selected “running” and “field events” “Athletes of the Meet”. Shuping continued his domination of the middle distance races collecting firsts in the 800m (1:55.35) and the 1500 (3:53.98). Radway secured his place as the dominant field event participant with winning jumps in both the long jump (25’ 1.5”) and the triple jump (48’ 7”). Radway also won the 400m in a blazing time of 46.94 with a stiff breeze in his face on the back stretch. Radway also grabbed a 4th place finish in the 200m (21.44). Concordia-native Zach Balthazore had yet another impressive day in the javelin as the freshman took 2nd in the javelin with a toss of 208’ 2”. Other placers for the men were: Andre LaShore, 3rd – triple jump, (47’ 4”), 5th – long jump (22’ 10”); Adam Bialas, 5th – decathlon, (5483); 4 x 800m relay (7:54.52); Julius Kiptum, 3rd - 10,000m (34:31.5), 6th – 3000m steeplechase (10:04.90).

Both programs will be preparing for the NJCAA National Track & Field Championships in Coffeyville, Kansas May 17th through the 19th.

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